USGS Study Shows Fracking Doesn't Harm Groundwater

May 31, 2017

The US Geological Survey released a study today that echoes conclusions of a list of peer-reviewed papers concluding hydraulic fracturing is not a major threat to drinking water.

After randomly sampling 116 water wells across the Eagle Ford, Fayetteville and Haynesville shale plays — and using chemical, isotopic, gas and groundwater-age tracers to thoroughly evaluate those samples — USGS researchers concluded that low concentrations of methane and benzene detected were likely naturally occurring and not attributable to shale development.